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Parents near Esplanade surprised by new drop-in centre

Community centre adjacent to public school to provide overnight spots on the floor for the homeless starting Dec. 15.

Suad Ahmed, left, and Amanda Campbell are among parents who are questioning why they weren't consulted prior to a city decision to open an overnight drop-in at a community centre adjacent to a downtown public school. (Emily Mathieu / Toronto Star) | Order this photo

Toronto parents are questioning why they weren’t consulted leading up to the city’s decision to open an overnight drop-in at a community centre adjacent to a downtown public school.

Parents at Market Lane Junior and Senior Public School, on the Esplanade, said Friday that they only learned within the previous 24 hours of the city’s plan to open up two rooms at the back of the St. Lawrence Community Recreation Centre.

The community centre is connected by several sets of doors to a large communal courtyard and is used by students at the busy school. The drop-in — largely just mats on the floor — is strictly for overnight use, and is scheduled to open on Dec. 15 and remain so until Feb. 28.

“This is happening in five days’ time and we are learning about this today,” said Amanda Campbell, a parent council member who has two children 7 and under at the school. “I wish there had been some preliminary conversation before this had happened.”

Campbell said what is upsetting people in the tight-knit and diverse neighbourhood is not the prospect of housing people in need, but the lack of information. “My immediate concern is A, for my children, and B, for my community,” she said.

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In a city facing what has widely been described as a housing crisis, emergency drop-ins are necessary to keep vulnerable people safe, particularly during what is expected to be a harsh winter.

Patricia Anderson, with the city’s shelter, support and housing administration division, said in an email that city staff had consulted with the local councillor (Pam McConnell), have met with representatives from the public school and the centre daycare, and will be meeting with parents “to listen to their concerns and share information on how the City and the program operator will be addressing these.”

Parents were not formally consulted — a process that can signal that permission is being sought — because the centre is a public space, said Anderson, and city staff worked diligently to “ensure the overnight drop-in program would have as little impact as possible on other users of this community space.”

City staffers have been invited to a scheduled parents’ council meeting on Tuesday night.

Parent council co-chair Suad Ahmed, who has a child in Grade 8, said their community recognizes the need for drop-in services, but because their school is not 100 per cent secure they need assurances from the city on how the program will be run.

The community centre houses a daycare and offers a range of youth programs inside the bright and airy space, which includes a large swimming pool.

The drop-in will be run by Margaret’s Housing and Community Support Services. Similar city programs serve men, women, transgender people, youth and seniors, as explained on a paper sheet given to parents on Friday.

The facility will catch the overflow from two existing 24/7 drop-ins. People will be let in at 9 p.m., given snacks and a place to get warm and sleep until 9 a.m. The two rooms are about 25 by 40 feet, and 15 by 20 feet and people are also invited to come and read, socialize, or work with staff to try and find housing.

McConnell (Toronto Centre-Rosedale) was unavailable for comment, because she was participating in a community event in Regent Park, but a staff member in her office said they “recognize there is some further communication and outreach work that needs to happen,” and will be speaking with parents this week.

The reality, the staffer said, is council has directed city staff to ensure that existing city facilities are not over capacity this winter, and the two drop-ins are expected to be filled; with this winter predicted to be colder than last, vulnerable people will need somewhere to go.

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